Bye Bye Baby

How do you know when you’ve grown up?

Is it when you have new epiphanies every so often? 

When suddenly the haze around many issues and conflicts in your mind seems to melt away and solutions look crystal clear?

When you realise that your friend is your friend only because that’s what she always has been and not because you connect with her on many levels?

When you realise that you can’t bond with one friend by bad-mouthing the other?

When it finally hits you that deceit, lies, gossip, playing mind games and keeping a record of ‘who knows what’ is just too tedious and completely unnecessary?

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When proving something to your friends ceases to be a priority in your head?

I think it’s all this and more. When you acknowledge that being clear in your mind is so much easier than justifying confusion.

When you realise that being part of someone else’s melodrama all the time, only takes away the chances of your life being exciting.

When you find yourself actually following the advice you give to your friends all the time.

When you find yourself actually appreciating people for being clear-headed, sorted and fundamentally solid about their ideals.

When you learn to appreciate the differences between you and the people you’re close to. (Trust me – this may sound the easiest, but it’s something the best of us struggle with every day.)

Or when you learn to deal with family stress, diseased loved ones, the plumber, a burnt finger, a disgruntled friend, a pressure cooker and a pigeon in the house all at the same time. Or balance a demanding boss, a bitchy colleague and a particularly tedious job all by being politically correct...........all the while trying to be a social, creative – yet sorted, intelligent, balanced and fun person?

It’s not easy to grow up. Especially when you know...that there's miles to go...before you sleep.

The mind of a 20 something-year-old

26.

Quarter life crisis. Over the hill. 4 years from 30. 14 years from 40.
Finally we've reached a point where we think we've grown up. Into the people we always wanted to be. Or have we? Isn't there room to grow...till you're 86 at least? Ah thank god, that's a good 60 years away.

Why do I feel like we've reached this point in time, where we're all frozen. Frozen in space and time. Looking at our lives from the outside. Seeing the clock ticking, people changing, parents getting older, full grown adults getting younger and 17 year olds with a world-weary look in their eyes.

Teenagers seem more and more opinionated and pig-headed. Adults seem more and more outdated.
You can't believe your mother doesn't know how to use a laptop mouse.
You also can't believe that your 10 year old niece doesn't know how to use her imagination.
Suddenly when somebody leaves the bathroom messy it becomes an 'issue'.
Suddenly you become particular about people touching your face.
Suddenly the way people chew grates on your nerves even more than exam papers did.
Sometimes, when you're partying, and NOT blind drunk you're looking at your watch more than you ever did.
Sometimes, when you're partying and you ARE blind drunk, you swear and swear and swear again that you will NEVER drink again. EVER.
Suddenly dinners, lunches, coffees, picnics, concerts, matches, treasure hunts, treks, board game nights and movies seem like a lot more fun than a night club is. While curling up in bed with a good book or watching a few episodes of your favourite sitcom are the MOST appealing. Why? What's happened? 18 till I die right? Then how come I'm avoiding making a party plan on a 'week night'! Since when am I a 'morning person'???

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When you see teenage boys and girls leaving all their self-respect behind the camera and reveling in being abused, tortured, objectified, laughed at and humiliated, all for some extra pocket money to party and buy some branded clothes, you feel shocked and start spouting 'aunty' dialogues to the tune of "Haww what are they showing these days? They are asking boys to rate how hot a girl is in front of her and asking them whether they will choose love or cash!? What has this world come to!!!"

What has this world come to? You're spouting aunty dialogues? You're saying things you used to scoff at 10 years ago. Yes. This day has come! Like it or not! You're leaving behind - albeit slowly - all the hedonism of the last 10 years...you're slowly morphing into a 'grown up'. You're slowly starting to value outings, people, relationships, friends, family.

You're slowly preparing for the next 10 years of your life - hedonistic in a different way maybe. Only time will tell.

Is this what it feels like to be 26?

I guess so.